In 2023, the former player for Real Madrid, Spurs, Southampton, and LAFC announced his retirement from playing.
Despite retiring from football two years ago after a time with LAFC, Gareth Bale is expected to make a comeback.
During his time with Real Madrid, Bale, 36, won five Champions Leagues, four Club World Cups, three European Super Cups, three La Liga titles, one Copa del Rey, and three Spanish Super Cups. He is also arguably Wales’ greatest football player of all time and the most successful British player to have played overseas.
Under the direction of Carlo Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane, the Welshman had a fruitful stint at Spanish giants, making 258 games and scoring 106 goals.
After that, he joined LAFC in 2022 and played in the MLS Cup final, where he scored a vital equaliser in extra time before the team defeated Philadelphia Union on penalties.
Bale then declared his official retirement from football in January 2023.
Although this was a recurring theme during his playing career, he has since made a number of appearances as part of TNT Sports’ coverage of the Champions League and frequently takes to the golf course.
The 36-year-old reduced his handicap from “three or four” to just 0.1 between January 2023 and July 2025, and some supporters even suggested that he might become a professional.
In an interview with BBC Wales, Bale swiftly denied the allegations, stating that he was “100% sure” that he could “not make it professionally.”
Bale clarified earlier this year that “when you are in golf and you watch professional golfers play, it is nowhere near compared to even your best stuff.”
“You truly realise how good those players are when you play with them and watch them.”
“There won’t be any professional (golf) for me,” he continued.
It’s also safe to assume that Bale doesn’t need to work now that his professional football career is done, as Wales Online reports that he made up to £600,000 a week while playing for Real.
The estimated net worth of the former Spurs player is £120 million.
The former Premier League footballer will, however, dust off his boots this weekend in preparation for a one-time participation in a charity game.
In Seoul, South Korea, Bale will play for FC Spear versus Shield United.
Alongside Bale, Wayne Rooney, Kaka, Thierry Henry, and Ronaldinho will also play.
Alessandro Nesta, Carlos Puyol, and former Manchester United players Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic will make up Shield United’s squad.
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